Birthday

Yesterday was one of my better birthdays. Celebrating mid-winter is often a cold and bleak time, but the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Glorious sunshine poked its rays into every corner of my being, creating a warmth within.

We had celebrated the day on Sunday with the family. Now that the kids are older, mid-week get-togethers are far more difficult, with school the next day for the youngsters and sport’s trainings to contend with, not to mention hard-working adults tired at the end of the day.

However, Sunday was a good day. No work, no sport commitments and everyone free. We had a nice meal at the local restaurant and if that was all we had done, I would have felt satisfied. However, yesterday was my birthday and Stephen and I had another outing, enjoying a meal at an Indian restaurant in town followed by cheesecake desert at Genevieve’s place – a lovely finish to a lovely day.

As children, birthdays were always exciting occasions. Usually, we would get one nice present and one or two smaller ones. One of my favourites was a hand-knitted cardigan from my grandmother. It replaced an ugly blazer my mother had made me wear to school and though it was navy, rather than the royal blue that school cardigans were supposed to be, I wore it each day and loved it. It kept me so warm.

One of my presents this year was another cardigan, reminding of that one I received all those years ago. This one is also warm and beautiful and I love it just as much as I did that one.

Among the other presents were a blue heron (my favourite bird) wall plaque, a Buddha statue and a crystal mobile, all things that I love. I feel so spoilt but also incredibly honoured that so many people are able to `get’ me, giving me things that bring joy. I have hidden the real me so deeply inside in the past, but now that I am opening up and exposing my inner world, those around me are responding. I feel so blessed.